Aboard an overnight train in Eastern Europe or the famous Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia travellers are transported back in time. Most of the carriages have been rattling along the rails since the Soviet era.

Classic cars are synonymous with Havana and demonstrate just how much communism has affected Cuba until today. For several decades, the socialist government led by Fidel Castro only allowed pre-revolutionary cars to be bought and sold within the country. It's why these days, there are about 60,000 cars from 1959 or earlier on Cuban roads – and usually visitors can enjoy touring in these old vehicles but currently there are restrictions in place due to COVID-19.

Several tour operators usually offer chauffeured two- to three-hour rides across the capital. Guests can soak in the sights, such as Revolution Square, the National Capitol Building and the shore road Malecón, in style.

The bunkers can be found in every corner of the country, from the mountains to the coast, with an average of 14.7 structures in every square mile. They were never actually used for defensive purposes and remain one of the most expensive and pointless government projects in world history.

When it's safe to travel again, Albania tourists can peek into the converted Bunk’Art (pictured), a museum and art gallery in the capital of Tirana. Rooms within its many tunnels have been staged to look like they would have during Hoxha's rule. Find more underground attractions around the world here.

In Estonia, one of the countries that regained independence from the Soviets with the fall of the Iron Curtain, the unloved heads of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin have been put together behind the Estonian History Museum near Tallinn (currently closed but do check the website for updates). Some of them are missing hands or other parts.

Under construction for some years, there's now a park with the Soviet sculptures behind the museum's Maarjamäe Palace. A good way to get there from Tallinn is usually by bike. There is a scenic cycle path towards Pirita that follows the beautiful coast of the Baltic Sea. Bike rentals are usually available in the Estonian capital.

Statues of Lenin, Marx and Stalin can also be found in Memento Park in Budapest. The statue graveyard houses 42 sculptures that were removed from the Hungarian capital and together they demonstrate how powerful the dictatorship must have been. Find our full guide to Budapest here.

The body of Vietnamese revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh is also on public display – despite his will to be cremated after his death. The granite mausoleum in Hanoi was modelled after Lenin's tomb in Moscow. Streams of people usually queue each day, sometimes for hours, to pass by his body in silence.

For decades, Mao Zedong had absolute power over millions of people. After his death in 1976, the Chairman of China's body now lies embalmed in a crystal coffin draped in a red flag (also against his will). Thousands of Chinese people continue to pay their respects in the mausoleum at Tiananmen Square (entrance is free).

One of the most recent deaths in communist leadership, Fidel Castro's ashes were laid in the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery in Santiago de Cuba in 2016. With its big granite boulder and a plaque saying no more than “Fidel”, the tomb of the Cuban revolutionary seems simple but pre-pandemic it quickly became a top tourist hot spot. Discover where more famous names are laid to rest.

Symbolic of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the quirky Trabant was the pride of the communist regime in East Germany from the 1950s until the end of its production and the fall of the bloc in the early 1990s. Lovingly nicknamed Trabi in German, the iconic car, whose design wasn't changed for decades, can still be seen on German roads.

Nowadays, visitors to Berlin and Dresden can usually get behind the wheel of a Trabant. So-called Trabi safaris are available, but currently restrictions apply due to COVID-19. In Berlin, for example, the tour takes tourists right through the centre, past the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and the remains of the Berlin Wall.

Once it's safe again, visitors can cruise the streets in the model of their choice, driving the two-stroke engines themselves as part of a Trabi caravan led by a guide. Information about the city and the sights are broadcast in different languages through the radio in each car. Check the website for updates.

Less is more when it comes to the design of the Trabi – the ride can be very bumpy. Also, some of the models had no indicator, no fuel gauge and no rear seat belts. This picture shows the refurbished interior of a Trabant 600 (P6) from 1963.

Fans of the HBO hit mini-series Chernobyl will recognise the look of this nuclear reactor. Constructed a year after the catastrophe in Ukraine, the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) in Lithuania is a carbon copy of the reactor in Chernobyl. Only an hour and a half's drive from the country's capital Vilnius, the reactor and the town of Visaginas (the equivalent of Pripyat) were used to film pre-explosion and clean up scenes, including the scenes with divers and miners.

Usually open for visitors, excursions have to be booked in advance and last two and a half hours, taking in the reactor room, the turbine room and block control panel where visitors have the chance to see the power plant control simulator in operation. Although it's safe to enter the controlled INPP zone, visitors have to wear protective clothing and special footwear, observe the radiation safety rules and avoid touching door handles. 

Probably the most secretive country on the planet, North Korea is the last real bastion of communism. Tourists from abroad have to join an official tour with chaperones appointed by the government although international travel has been temporarily suspended due to COVID-19. When tours resume, visitors who don't mind being watched and doing everything they're told can admire the tall bronze statues of the former almighty leaders of the 'hermit kingdom', Kim Il-sung (left) and Kim Jong-il, in the capital Pyongyang. Photos can only be taken from the front – any other angle is considered unflattering and is not permitted.

The chaperones will proudly show off their modern subway, which visitors are allowed to ride accompanied. Speaking to any local on the train is not allowed though. Also, foreigners can only travel between two stations. Discover more of the world's beautiful subway and metro stations here.

Every few years (the schedule is sporadic), visitors can witness a giant mass dance in Pyongyang May Day Stadium. The Arirang Mass Games (pictured) see hundreds of schoolchildren and adults move in synchronised precision to symbolise the unity of communism – it's a big deal for the country.

32 astonishing things you never knew about North Korea

Speaking of oddities, North Korean amusement parks like this one in Pyongyang used to have a rather outlandish attraction in the past. Between carousels and duck-fishing, a popular activity was shooting at pictures of American soldiers with toy guns – many have now been replaced by 'friendlier' targets.

Frequently earning a spot on lists of the world's ugliest buildings, the pyramid-shaped Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang (pictured) is said to be the tallest unoccupied building on the planet and has been unfinished for a long time. It is still not a place foreign visitors are permitted to stay and the closest view tourists from abroad can ever get is from afar.

Abandoned Cold War places the world nearly forgot

Decades of neglect have taken its toll inside the monument. The dome is now derelict and the huge auditorium covered with debris. The eerie sight has become a popular place for graffiti artists and has featured in films and music videos. 

In recent times, the authorities have restricted access to the abandoned building. But visitors can usually still drive up the mountain road between Kazanlak and Shipka, and stroll around its base. The views from the peak are pretty spectacular too, that is, if you can stop looking at the odd giant grey thing next to you. 

For more abandoned spots check out this eerie list of hotels and airports that have been long forgotten